A pair of Expedition 57 astronauts spent the day exploring how humans think and work while living long-term in space. A cosmonaut also tested a pair of tiny, free-floating satellites operating inside the International Space Station.

NASA astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor is helping doctors on the ground understand if an astronaut's brain structure and mental abilities change in space. She took part in a behavioral assessment test today that involves the mental imaging of rotating objects, target accuracy during motion or stillness and concentrating on two tasks at the same time. The NeuroMapping experiment, which has been ongoing since 2014, is exploring an astronaut's neuro-cognitive abilities before, during and after a spaceflight.

Scientists are also learning how an astronaut's nervous system may be impacted by different gravitational environments such as the moon, asteroids or planets. The GRIP study from ESA (European Space Agency) is exploring how space residents interact with objects by monitoring their grip and load forces.

Commander Alexander Gerst from Germany strapped himself into a specialized seat in the Columbus lab module for the GRIP study today. He performed several motions in the seat while gripping a device collecting data measuring cognition, grip force and movement kinematics.

Cosmonaut Sergey Prokopyev set up the bowling ball-sized SPHERES satellites for a test run inside Japan's Kibo lab module. The SPHERES (Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites) are used for a variety of experiments including autonomous formation-flying, shipping liquids such as fuels and introducing students to spacecraft navigation techniques.

On-Orbit Status Report

Actiwatch Spectrum: Following the discovery of some bad data from a previous Actiwatch spectrum data collection, this activity set up the nine remaining Actiwatch spectrum units to verify they are producing good data. The Actiwatch Spectrum is a waterproof, nonintrusive, sleep-wake monitor worn on a crewmember's wrist. The device contains an accelerometer for measuring motion and color sensitive photodiodes (a photodetector capable of converting light into voltage) for monitoring ambient lighting. Together, these capabilities enable the Actiwatch Spectrum to analyze circadian rhythms, sleep-wake patterns, and activity.

Grip Seated Science Session: The crew completed the Grip seated session which is the first of three Grip activities for the week. Pending verification of the downlinked data, the ground reported the session went well. ESA's Grip investigation tests how the nervous system takes into account the forces due to gravity and inertia when manipulating objects. Results from this investigation may provide insight into potential hazards for astronauts as they manipulate objects in different gravitational environments, support design and control of haptic interfaces to be used in challenging environments such as space, and provide information about motor control that will be useful for the evaluation and rehabilitation of impaired upper limb control in patients with neurological diseases.

Spaceflight Effects on Neurocognitive Performance: Extent, Longevity, and Neural Bases (Neuromapping): The crew performed a NeuroMapping Experiment Neurocognitive Test which includes testing in both "strapped in" and "free floating" body configurations. The investigation studies whether long-duration spaceflight causes changes to brain structure and function, motor control, and multi-tasking abilities. It also measures how long it takes for the brain and body to recover from possible changes. Previous research and anecdotal evidence from astronauts suggests movement control and cognition can be affected in microgravity. The NeuroMapping investigation includes use of structural and functional magnetic resonance brain imaging (MRI and fMRI) to assess any changes that occur after spending months on the ISS.

Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites (SPHERES) Zero Robotics Unit Test: As part of the 2018 High School Tournament, the crew performed a unit test today. The unit test occurs prior to the actual competition and allows the ground to verify various aspects of the competition are working as intended. When the actual completion is performed in January, the High School Tournament teams will be tasked with dodging virtual space debris in low Earth orbit to retrieve a damaged SPHERES satellite. The SPHERES-Zero-Robotics investigation establishes an opportunity for high school students to design research for the ISS. As part of a competition, students write algorithms for the SPHERES satellites to accomplish tasks relevant to future space missions. The algorithms are tested by the SPHERES team and the best designs are selected for the competition to operate the SPHERES satellites on board the ISS.

Nitrogen/Oxygen Recharge System (NORS) Nitrogen (N2) Transfer Initiation: The crew reconfigured the ISS N2 System and initiated the N2 transfer from the NORS tank to the ISS High Pressure Gas Tank. This NORS N2 tank will be left installed until the N2 is depleted, which is expected in approximately one month.

Lab Waste Water Bus Reconfiguration: Today, the crew attempted to reconfigure the waster bus for the upcoming commissioning and use of the newly installed Life Support Rack (LSR). The crew noticed when demating the Node 1 to LAB waste water line that the male side of the Quick Disconnects (QD) poppet was off nominal and still depressed. The crew took photos for ground assessment and remated the connector. LSR commissioning is currently scheduled for November 6.

A pair of Expedition 57 astronauts spent the day exploring how humans think and work while living long-term in space. A cosmonaut also tested a pair of tiny, free-floating satellites operating inside the International Space Station.